Speech at the 10th Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy YANG Jianli Feb. 20, 2018, Geneva It’s wonderful to see so many old and new friends here at the 10th Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, and it is an honor to speak at the gathering again this year. And I am proud that my organization, Initiatives for China/ Citizen Power, is a partner of the Geneva Summit. The camaraderie, and the sharing of experiences and strategies at this Summit has always given me hope, even during the darkest days of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) autocratic rule. Dr. Yang talks about Mr. Wang Quanzhang on Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), and the 20th anniversary of China’s signing of the International...

Posted on Nov 12, 2017 in No Category | Comments Off on Declaration of Unity – Eleventh Interfaith/Interethnic Leadership Conference Declaration of Unity

Eleventh Interfaith/Interethnic Leadership Conference Declaration of Unity April 30, 2016 Dharamsala, India We — representatives of a wide diversity of nationalities, ethnic groups, faith groups, and human rights activists — gathered for a closed-door discussion of “Strengthening Our Alliance to Advance the Peoples’ Dreams: Freedom, Justice, Equality and Peace.” After a rich sharing of our experiences, we have reached some initial reflections and suggestions for future actions. First, from our stay in Dharamsala, we have directly felt the tremendous significance of the ongoing moral leadership of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama for all of humanity. Furthermore, we express our strong appreciation for determination of the whole Tibetan community, despite the great difficulties in exile, to develop democratic institutions and civil society. Second, from our stay in India, and our interactions with a wide variety of...

We are shocked and saddened to learn that China’s only Nobel Peace laureate Liu Xiaobo has recently been diagnosed with advanced liver cancer. We are relieved that he has been released from prison for medical treatment. However, we are seriously concerned that the Chinese regime will continue to deny Liu Xiaobo freedom, restrict his movement, and prevent him from receiving adequate medical care. The transfer from prison to hospital does not guarantee that his friends or family will be able to visit. We therefore strongly urge the Chinese authorities to let Liu Xiaobo free, ensure he received effective access to his family, allow him to choose where and how he wants to be treated. If Liu Xiaobo and his family choose to seek medical treatment overseas, IFC/CP will provide full assistance. We believe that the Chinese Communist regime is...

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST Staff suspended at Voice of America after interview with fugitive tycoon Guo Wengui Broadcaster says decision based on journalistic principles – not pressure from the US or China PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 02 May, 2017, 9:05pm UPDATED : Wednesday, 03 May, 2017, 5:48pm Source: http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2092376/staff-suspended-voice-america-after-interview-fugitive A group of journalists at US ­government-funded broadcaster Voice of America (VOA) had been suspended after they were involved in an interview with ­Chinese fugitive tycoon Guo Wengui last month, one of the ­reporters said on Tuesday. Mandarin service host Dong Fang said on Twitter that the ­measure against him was part of an unspecified investigation. In a written reply to the South China Morning Post, the broadcaster confirmed the suspension of VOA Mandarin service chief ­Sasha Gong Xiaoxia and four ­other Mandarin service employees over the interview, but denied it had...

Posted on Nov 10, 2016 in News, No Category, Op Ed, Uyghur | Comments Off on The Story of a Uyghur Freedom Fighter in a Journalistic Career

by Ayesha Dear everyone, I would like to share with you a simple but impressive story of a Uyghur lady in exile, who has been fighting with a dragon, the Chinese government, using her broadcasting profession as a weapon. Her name is Gulchehra Abduqeyum Hoja and her people used to call her Gul, which means flower. She is very well known to the Uyghurs because of her unique style in TV programs back home as well as in the Radio Free Asia (RFA) based in Washington, DC, USA. Let’s get to know her a little bit more through her past. Gul was born in Urumchi, the regional capital of East Turkistan, which is currently called Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, to the family of a recognized Uyghur intellectual. She was a precious gift to this family because her...

Posted on Aug 29, 2016 in No Category | Comments Off on Times Wang: When Trudeau visits China, spare a thought for my father

The Global and Mail When Trudeau visits China, spare a thought for my father Times Wang Published Friday, Aug. 26, 2016 6:00AM EDT Times Wang of Montreal is a lawyer based in Washington, D.C. His family’s website provides details about his father’s case. When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visits China next week, my family and I will be watching very closely. We are Canadian Chinese, but our particular interest in his visit stems not from heritage, but from heartache. My father is Chinese political prisoner Wang Bingzhang, whose experience of Canadian democracy led him to devote his life to democracy activism. After obtaining his PhD from McGill University, he started several opposition parties, including in China, from which he was exiled and expelled. Fourteen years ago, he was kidnapped in Vietnam and taken to China, where he was held incommunicado for...

Posted on Jul 20, 2016 in No Category | Comments Off on Liu Xiaodong, Pregnant Wife of China’s Prominent Dissident Zhao Changqing’s, and Their 4 Year Old Boy Escape to America

Initiatives for China/Citizen Power for China July 19, 2016 Washington, D.C. On the afternoon of July 19, Liu Xiaodong, the pregnant wife of China’s prominent dissident Zhao Changqing’s, along with their 4 year old son, Zhao Yaokun, arrived at San Francisco International Airport from Bangkok, Thailand. She was, escorted by Dr.Yang Jianli, president of Initiatives for China/ Citizen Power for China (IFC/CPFC). Her husband, Zhao Changqing has been one of China’s leading human rights and democracy defender since the 1989 Tiananmen Students Movement. As a former student leader in Tiananmen Square and a prominent political “prisoner of conscience,” he has been imprisoned five times in 27 years. Released just a week ago, he is living in China under heavy surveillance. Escaping China’s “persecution by association,” of prisoners’ relatives, Zhao’s wife and son left China this May and went to Bangkok, Thailand, with...